Wayne Rooney has dropped his clear-cut verdict on the role that one key first-team Manchester United player needs to have in Ruben Amorim’s system at Old Trafford.
Manchester United are now back in action on Thursday evening for their important second-leg semi-final Europa League tie against Athletic Club at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils hold the advantage going into the return leg after United’s 3-0 win over 10-man Athletic Club last Thursday at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.
United are within touching distance of the Europa League final and the remainder of the Red Devils’ lacklustre 2024-25 season now relies on their European campaign.
Lifting the Europa League trophy would ensure European football for United in the 2025-26 season and open a path back to the Champions League.
United’s form in the Premier League has been dreadful and the Red Devils currently languish in 15th place with only three league matches remaining this season.
Ruben Amorim’s men are unable to finish in the top half of the table and United will end the season with their worst finish in the Premier League era.
Man Utd and England legend Wayne Rooney makes his Bruno Fernandes claim around Ruben Amorim’s tactical system
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has faced an uphill task at Old Trafford in the 2024-25 campaign since his arrival from Sporting CP in 2024.
The 40-year-old former Sporting CP boss replaced Erik ten Hag at the Premier League club and United have been unable to bounce back in the league.
Amorim rolled out his tactical system at United after he became head coach and the Red Devils’ shift to a three-man backline has yielded mixed results so far.
The United manager has been urged to switch away from his system until he has the right players in place, but Amorim has remained firm on his tactics at the Red Devils.
Speaking on The Overlap, Wayne Rooney insisted that he wants Amorim to keep Bruno Fernandes in an advanced position instead of playing him deeper in midfield.
“The game now is very much positional,” he said.
“For instance, at United now, the creative players are coming back and the wingbacks are going higher.
“The attacking players are lower than the defensive players. If you have good attacking players, you want them [higher up the pitch].
“Like, I think Bruno has done really well in midfield, but I want to see Bruno higher, in and around the penalty area where he can shoot and create.
“You’re ending up with so many defenders up the pitch and your midfield players who are good attacking players filling in at full-back spots and stuff.
“In some ways it’s OK if you’ve got the personnel, but every team is doing it now and I think it’s a little bit too much.”
Why Ruben Amorim refuses to move away from his tactical system at Man Utd
United manager Amorim found success with Sporting after he deployed his tactical system and the Red Devils often line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation for matches.
Amorim insisted that things could only become “even worse” at Old Trafford if he does not make his position firm on his blueprint and his philosophy at United.
“I have to sell my idea,” he said in 2024, as per BBC Sport.
“If I change all the time, it is going to be even worse.
“I understand they have a lot of difficulties because they spent two years playing one way and, now, they are playing another. With a lot of losses, it is really tough on them.
“You can feel it, during the game I can feel it but I have to sell my idea because I don’t have another one. When you have a change of coach, especially in this type of club, it is because they were not winning.
“They played in the system they were bought for and were chosen perfectly for that system. After two years, working in pre-season, they were losing.
“So, am I going to change to that system to something that I don’t believe in? That doesn’t make sense.”
United and Athletic Club will meet in the second-leg Europa League semi-final tie on Thursday evening at Old Trafford and kick-off is slated for 8pm UK time.
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